The chances for an innocent verdict are very small for any trial in Japan.
But it is also unusual for a defendant to have the kind of money that Horie does to hire the best lawyers.
It is also unusual for a defendant to plead innocent. Most defendants sign confessions, sometimes acknowledging wrongdoing to try to get a lighter sentence.
It makes sense that the judges will at least consider the possiblity that Horie may really be innocent if he withstood three months of incarceration at the Tokyo Detention Center and tortuous grilling by prosecutors _ and came out still proclaiming innocence.
It's at least something he (and Japanese society) must consider as he weighs everything to hand down what he sees as the just verdict, including whether it will be a suspended sentence or a prison term.
My one-on-one interview with Horie
Another
My earlier interview with Horie's lawyer
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